I M Perfect lady

"If all I have is Now, where will I look for Joy?" 

Mark Nepo's, Book of Awakening, December 27th.

"Without hope for the future, without hope that things will change, with no hope of finding what's been lost, and no hope of restoring the past, with only the risk to crack open all that has hardened about me, what will I do with what I have?"

"At first,this might seem scary or sad, but as a tired swimmer comes ashore surprised to find pearls washing through his legs, I lift my tired head again and again to find all that I need is right where I am."

"But, being human, I stray and dream of lives others than my own, and soon I am busy wanting something else, somewhere else, someone else; busy imagining something just out of reach to strive for."

"It leads me to say if you are unhappy or in pain, nothing will remove these surfaces. But acceptance and a strong heart will crack them like a shell exposing a softness that has always been, exposing a soft thing waiting to take form.  It glows.  I think it is the one spirit we all share."  Mark Nepo

We are getting to the end of Mark Nepo's book, The Book of Awakening. I read a passage each day, and I commented on many of those that struck me as true in my experience.  He writes not about finding the perfect life, but being perfect with life…

He also uses nature as a guidepost or reference in knowing how to respond.

It is our challenge always to find Joy here…and not look ahead or beyond where our breath is.  In this moment of time.  I feel joy in being calm, in relaxing with the tree lights, in writing cards to send to friends…in sipping tea…in being online, wirelessly!

I like that joy is found right now…joy lives in Now.